Protocolo diagnóstico de la afectación neurológica inmunomediada autoinmune y paraneoplásica

Abstract

Immune-mediated neurological involvement refers to a group of disorders in which the immune system attacks cells of the nervous system. It is common in autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, and myasthenia gravis. Symptoms include weakness, sensory disturbances, and cognitive problems, usually due to the presence of specific antibodies that damage neurons or myelin. The diagnosis is based on the identification of these antibodies and on imaging evidence of neuronal inflammation. On the other hand, paraneoplastic neurological involvement occurs as a result of an immune response against the cancer rather than direct autoimmune dysfunction. It is associated with neurological syndromes such as limbic encephalitis or peripheral neuropathy and may occur in the context of occult malignant tumors. Unlike the former, biomarkers such as specific paraneoplastic antibodies help to differentiate it, along with identification of the presence of underlying neoplasms.